The Big Fish Foundation is made up of Veterans, civilians, and military spouses. It's from experiencing our own challenges that we are passionate about empowering Veterans. If together with our partners, we can awaken a story of possibility, there is no limit to the potential of what we can accomplish, in or out of uniform.
Founder / President
We envision a strong & supportive community of Veterans, craving challenge & purpose, committed to ‘putting their gloves on’ to do the personal & collective work required to evolve then thrive after military service; for themselves and our communities.
Brian Chontosh is a retired Marine Corps officer.
He was born in Rochester, NY in 1974 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1993, serving in the infantry. He was accepted for a commissioning program, and became an infantry officer in 2000. He has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and a master’s degree in Leadership Education and Academic Development.
Over his 20-year career, a few of his deployments included: Operation Assured Response in Liberia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Phantom Fury. His personal awards include receiving the Navy Cross (the nation’s second highest award for valor in combat), a Meritorious Service Medal, and two Bronze Stars with valor device, as well as numerous others. He has been featured in the Fox News documentary, “Company of Heroes,” as well as most recently in Chip Reid’s new book, “Battle Scars.” He retired in 2013.
Upon retiring, he worked with the CrossFit Seminar Staff and on special projects for CrossFit HQ. Brian is also an ultra-endurance athlete having tackled races such as; Primal Quest, GodZone, Arrowhead 135, and the AR World Championships in Australia. He has mountain biked the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico, completed the Tahoe 200 mile & Moab 240 mile marathons, and most recently, he rowed in a 4-man team across the Atlantic Ocean in 2023 as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Currently, he is the founder of Crooked Butterfly Ranch, a leadership through experiential learning business. He is also the founder and president of the Veteran’s nonprofit organization, Big Fish Foundation (“Big Fish” originating from his call-sign during his time in the Marine Corps). He is an avid outdoorsman, is married to Nicole Carroll (the Chief Brand Officer of CrossFit) and has three children.
Operations Manager
Programs Manager
Media & Messaging
Gifting & Partnerships
Gloves On Collective
Founder and CEO of O2 Hydration; an Inc 5,000 beverage brand.
Director at Cliff Capital Group, Ft Worth, TX. Certified Public Accountant auditing non-profit organizations.
Senior Vice President & Resident Director of Wealth Management for Merrill Lynch; Reston, VA.
Business Development Team Lead at American Safety Services in Odessa & Artesia, TX.
Operations, Credentials, Vendors
Programs, Advocacy, Strategy
Partnerships, Grants
Gloves On Collective, Networking
“My life has been significantly, positively impacted as a result of attending 4 different Big Fish Foundation events. Overall, what overrides each experience with Big Fish is that I have felt seen, genuinely cared for and loved. There hasn’t ever been conditions or parameters around receiving that support. It comes freely & generously in a way I haven’t experienced anywhere outside of my family."
“As an ambassador volunteer for the Big Fish Foundation, I have the privilege of providing service in its purest form. Albeit acutely helping veterans persevere through physical challenges or normalizing the importance of seeking ongoing support through fellowship; equal importance of both is evident within this commUNITY."
"The Big Fish Foundation is the genesis for so many men and women getting and finding help. Not only finding help, finding out how to help themselves. Show up ready to work...and I promise you will be changed, for the better.”
"Big Fish Foundation saved our marriage. Sam was stuck listening to the demons telling him he was a failure & of little worth. I was stuck believing I belonged nowhere; I was too much and not enough at the same time. We both saw the best of each other, yet couldn't show up as our best selves for each other. What was left of us was given to our son. We were not in crisis, so to speak, but we were drowning in our own struggles.
Big Fish Foundation stepped the space between public & private to give us safety & belonging. We gathered with other like-minded individuals who possessed a deep desire to find community, purpose, and be the best versions of themselves. At Big Fish events we experienced restoration & peace. It come from sitting on beaches and staring at sunsets - we did the work; physically, emotionally, and mentally. Big Fish knows that in this discomfort growth lives. Without work, there can be no change. We found each other again.
There is something special about the ethos of BFF that ignites a passion to serve through healing, belonging, & purpose. The Big Fish Foundation is out there making entire communities better one Veteran at a time and that's something worth supporting. We can't afford not to."
"For me the best part of the Big Fish Foundation is it brings Veterans who may have been struggling, to a safe environment filled with; love, compassion, common courtesy, and respect to share experiences and be part of something bigger than themselves. Those Veterans always leave with a greater sense of purpose, strength and a new found family with a completely full heart!"
People talk about being a part of the solution, few put their gloves on and work towards it.
